


Innocent Enough

by gmariam



Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-21
Updated: 2014-10-25
Packaged: 2018-02-22 00:08:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2487293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gmariam/pseuds/gmariam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Game, set, match: a night at the pub becomes a bit more for Jack and Ianto. Set just before 'They Keep Killing Suzie' with warnings for a bit of language, a lot of drinking, and highly suspect stories of sexual prowess. And probably some snogging.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Game

I. Game

The night started out innocent enough.

The first round was on Owen: a pint for everyone, even Jack, who almost always avoided drinking with the rest of the team. This time he accepted with a gracious tip of the head. Ianto knew it would be Jack's only one, though, because that was Jack, who kept a decanter and tumbler in his office so he could apparently drink expensive scotch in private. Ianto joined the others as they raised their glasses before the conversation turned to work and rugby and the mundane chatter that typically filled most pubs on a Friday night.

All innocent enough.

* * *

Jack went to the bar for their second round, and when he returned, he had a glass of water for himself, just as he always did when the team was out together. They ordered food, and talk turned to the big Rift opening that Tosh anticipated sometime in the next few weeks.

"Think we'll ever get anything fun?" asked Owen. Everyone threw him a skeptical look. "What? All we ever get is space junk and ugly aliens. Why can't we get something decent for a change?"

"Such as?" asked Gwen.

"What about interstellar toys?" suggested Tosh. "Toys are fun. I wonder what kids willplay with in the future."

"The same things as they do now, just much, much more advanced," said Jack with what looked like a knowing smile. He was always making those kinds of comments, and Ianto always filed them away, knowing Jack had his secrets.

"I don't want advanced children's toys," Owen huffed. "Just something fun for once."

"I don't think the words 'rip in the space-time continuum' and 'fun' are quite synonymous," said Ianto, pitching it as dryly as possible. Owen downed his second pint and rolled his eyes at Ianto in that patronizing way he'd adopted not long after Ianto had started at the Hub.

"Whatever the hell that means, tea boy. Drink up."

So he did.

* * *

Owen's third pint (courtesy of Tosh) went quickly. He set down the empty glass and glanced around the table with a not-very-subtle grin on his face. Ianto was learning that it didn't take much to loosen the doctor's tongue.

"So what would you want to come through then? What'd be your Rift gift?"

"Oi," said Ianto, letting an affronted look cross his face. "I'm in charge of artifact identification."

"Other people can rhyme too, you know," Owen tossed back. "And for that you can go first. If you could have anything fall through the Rift right into your lap, what would it be?"

Jack snorted from where he was sitting across the table, and everyone turned toward him. "What? Sorry, just the idea of something landing on my lap like that is…well, pretty damn exciting, if you ask me."

"Not if it bites your balls off," muttered Owen. He shared a pained look with Ianto, who had to nod in agreement given such a thing was certainly possible when dealing with the Rift.

"Hasn't happened yet," Jack said, raising his water glass in a cheeky toast.

Owen ignored him and turned back to Ianto. "Come on, then. What would it be? More post-it notes and pens?"

"I have honestly never given it one bit of thought, Owen," said Ianto, highly amused at the direction of the conversation in spite of the doctor's obvious attempt to belittle him. "Because the probability of the Rift ever spitting out something that doesn't snort, snarl, or explode seems too impossible to calculate."

"You have no imagination," Owen muttered.

"I have quite an active imagination. I just don't imagine those kinds of things about the Rift." He raised an eyebrow in challenge, and Owen stared at him, as if trying to puzzle out just what Ianto might be imagining.

"I don't think I want to know where you'd go with that," Owen finally decided.

"Probably not," Ianto agreed, and he finished his pint with a grin, trying not to glance up when he felt Jack's eyes on him. It was rare for Ianto to join the team at the pub, and this was his first time out with them since his suspension. Apparently their experience in Brynnblaidd had not completely backfired, and Ianto was slowly but surely becoming a part of the team again. Life was starting to feel almost normal, like it had before Canary Wharf, when he'd go out with Lisa and his coworkers and not worry about things like Cybermen and cannibals.

"Go on, then," said Tosh, glancing between him and Owen. "You answer the question, Owen."

Owen seemed to think about it. "A working spaceship would be nice, something not in smoking bits and pieces." Beside the doctor, Jack was nodding in agreement, a wistful look on his face. Owen continued before anyone could jump in.

"I think, though, that just once I'd like to meet a really hot alien and not something that wants to take my head off and use it as a chew toy."

They were all silent as they considered his answer, until Gwen wandered off and returned with another round of drinks. She also brought back two shots for Owen and Ianto, apparently to see what they might get up to out of the Hub. Ianto slammed it back with Owen, for once just going with it.

* * *

"So would you shag it?" asked Tosh. "The really hot alien from the Rift?" She was pleasantly relaxed after another glass of wine, otherwise Ianto knew she would have never asked such a question. Owen appeared to think about it, as if it was actually a difficult decision for him.

"Carys," Jack coughed into his hand, and Gwen blushed while Owen snorted.

"Yeah, all right. I'd shag it as long as I didn't explode into a cloud of dust at the wrong moment."

"Or the right one," Ianto murmured. Jack wagged his eyebrows, and Ianto rolled his eyes in response, though he allowed a teasing lilt to pull at his lips. He noticed that Owen's glass was empty again, so he pushed his drink across the table for the good doctor. He was feeling pleasantly relaxed and a bit less inhibited than he normally was around the Hub, but he wasn't about to embarrass himself just as things were finally starting to turn around.

"Cheers, mate," said Owen, taking the drink without a second thought. "So come on, none of you have ever wanted to shag an alien?" Owen asked, directing his question to the table.

"Been there, done that," said Jack cheerfully. Tosh waved her hand at them in an embarrassed reminder, having also done so quite recently. Gwen seemed to shrink into her seat, refusing to answer seeing as she'd had a go at Carys not many months ago, so Owen turned to Ianto yet again.

"How about you? See any alien action in London?"

"Owen!" Tosh exclaimed, but Ianto shook his head, thinking he might have a bit of fun with Owen. Ianto could match verbal wits with the doctor sober, but Owen was well on his way to soused and stupid, making it even easier.

"Of course not. Torchwood London didn't sleep with aliens, we just destroyed them and scavenged their technology." Out of the corner of his eye, Ianto noticed Jack tense. Torchwood Three was nothing like One, and it had been a source of ill feelings between Jack and the London office for years, even after One had been destroyed.

He pushed those thoughts from his mind as Owen snorted again.

"So you must know quite a bit about aliens, if you were the archive whore over there, too."

"A bit," Ianto replied blandly, ignoring the insult. Jack had sat up straighter and was watching the exchange intently, no doubt ready to put a stop to Owen's name calling when it really wasn't a big deal, and Ianto could handle himself anyway. "We archive whores do like our hanging files." Both Tosh and Gwen stifled a laugh, and Ianto was glad to see Jack relax.

"Anything you'd shag?" asked Owen, missing the subtle innuendo completely. Ianto stood up and grinned, throwing a quick look at Jack before answering; Jack's eyes widened slightly, and Ianto resisted the urge to wink. He hadn't had that much to drink, after all. Why had he even looked at Jack after that particular question? He was over those kinds of thoughts about Jack, wasn't he?

"Time for another round?" Ianto asked with a grin.

* * *

"All right," said Owen, setting down the double shot of Grey Goose Ianto had given him before taking a pull of his next pint. "If we're not going to talk about extraterrestrial sex, then how about some more down to earth shags?"

"Owen, are you trying to get one of us into bed?" asked Jack, and Ianto laughed into his glass. Owen was definitely hung up on the subject, which was normally something Ianto steered clear off, but this time was different. Gwen looked nervous, which made sense since she was sleeping with the doctor, and Tosh was staring into her wine glass, also uncomfortable. Jack, of course, loved the topic, so maybe Ianto could have a bit of fun with him as well…

"'Course not," Owen replied. "Just trying to keep the conversation going with my verbal repartee."

"Keep trying," Ianto murmured, earning himself a narrow-eyed glare from the doctor.

"We could talk about something besides sex," Gwen suggested a bit too brightly, which was echoed by Tosh.

"Jack?" asked Owen, whinging for support. Jack shrugged in response, but looked straight at Ianto when he spoke.

"I'm always good when it comes to sex."

"I bet you are," murmured Tosh, and when everyone turned toward her in surprise, she blushed and apologized.

"No need to apologize, Tosh," said Owen, waving his hand in the air. "At least Jack's willing to go where the rest of you won't."

Ianto opened his mouth to reply, but Owen stopped him, which was probably a good thing, since Ianto wasn't quite sure what direction to go with that particular opening.

"Don't say it, Jones. I take it back."

"Thank god," murmured Tosh, and Jack pulled a face at her, miming disappointment.

"So Jack, what's the most interesting shag you've had?" asked Owen. He seemed to realize whom he was talking to and continued before Jack could answer. "With a human being here on planet Earth."

Jack pretended to think, as if earthbound sex was too mundane, and the girls couldn't help but laugh. Ianto watched Jack closely, wondering what the man might say. He shouldn't be interested, but he was. Jack did have a reputation, after all.

"I do like roofs," Jack finally offered with a grin.

"Mile high club then?" asked Owen.

"Naturally," said Jack. "In fact, I'm a car-holding member of the  _original_  mile high club."

"Of course you are," said Owen, not really registering the implication. Ianto filed it away with the other incongruous facts about Jack he was still trying to piece together. Owen snapped his fingers at Ianto. "Your turn. If you've got anything worth sharing, that is."

"Oh, I do," said Ianto, sipping slowly at his glass and once again ignoring Owen's barbs. He had left off with the beer in order to keep some of his wits about him, though he still felt pleasantly relaxed and unusually confident. He sensed things could get very interesting indeed. "You first, though."

"Most interesting shag I've ever had? Had to be this couple I picked up in a bar once. Nice threesome. Went back to her playroom, and it was kinky as hell."

Tosh was shaking her head. "Oh, Owen."

"What?" he asked. "Can you top it?" He sniggered at his own joke.

"I'm not even going to try. Gwen, want to get some snacks at the bar and leave them to it?"

Gwen looked torn between staying to listen and leaving with Tosh, but finally nodded. "Yeah, I don't think this is going to be something we want to hear."

They left to the sound of Owen shouting, "It's better than playing who'd you last snog!" Ianto knew Jack was watching him again, remembering how uncomfortable that game had been.

"Where were we?" asked Owen. "Jones, your turn."

Ianto sat up straighter, a curious thought passing through his mind as he glanced first at Jack and then back at Owen. He had taken off his suit coat after the first pint; now he slowly unbuttoned his waistcoat, knowing that Jack was watching and enjoying it immensely. "How much do you want to know?"

"I don't want the sordid details, if that's what you're offering," Owen replied, pulling a face.

"I do," Jack said almost instantly. There was that grin again. Ianto turned toward him with a sparkle in his eye, ready to play.

"Twins, back in uni."

"You didn't!" Owen crowed.

"I did. Identical twins."

Jack almost choked on his water, setting down the glass and staring at Ianto with an incredulous look that Ianto suspected was also slightly turned on. "I don't believe it either."

"Piano duo, actually. Very deft fingers."

"Bollocks," declared Owen. "You're taking the piss."

That got the doctor an eye roll. "Don't believe it, then. It still happened, and I will always enjoy Mozart because of it. I believe it's your turn, Jack."

Jack narrowed his eyes at Ianto as if he'd been challenged and licked his lips before answering. "Triplets. Two sisters and a brother. In a hatchback. And the Rolling Stones."

Owen shook his head. "No way. Too crowded in a hatchback."

"Don't believe it," replied Jack, echoing Ianto's words and holding Ianto's gaze. "It still happened, and 'Ride On, Baby' is the only song from the sixties I remember. Got anything better, Owen?"

"Well, I wish I could claim quadruplets, but I can't. I have, however, done it in public a number of times."

The other two men nodded in appreciation. When Owen looked to Ianto as if it were his turn again, Ianto grinned and sipped at his drink. He once again let his glance slide toward Jack before speaking, running his tongue over his upper lip and enjoying the slight part of Jack's lips in response. Oh, this was fun, much more fun than he'd ever thought it could be.

"Elevator?"

"Yep."

"Fitting room?"

"Of course." Owen narrowed his eyes. "Dance floor?"

"Nope. Don't dance much." Ianto sat back and put his hands in his pockets, stretching his legs out before him. He thought he saw Jack swallow and adjust the way he was sitting in his chair. "Local park. On the swing."

"Moving or stationary?" asked Owen.

"Oh, we were swinging all right," murmured Ianto, his eyes gazing distantly across the pub as if he was recalling an exceptionally fond memory. It had been a good night, but other more immediate images were floating across his mind at that moment that had nothing to do with the girl or the park. Owen whooped again; Jack groaned, but Ianto knew it wasn't at his joke. He had the man hooked, there was almost no doubt.

"Jones, you surprise me. Jack, you need a turn at this. Public sex?"

"Love it," said Jack, clearing his throat as if he needed to focus. "Name a place, and I've been there."

They did, and he had. Simple as that. Ianto was impressed, and found himself more than a little turned on now as well.

"Come on, Jack, throw us a bone," Owen finally begged. "What could we have possibly missed?"

"Well, there was this crazy blonde in the sidecar of a motorcycle on the Autobahn."

Ianto smirked, unable to stop a lurid image from forming in his head but enjoying it none-the-less. "Probably more room than the hatchback, at least."

"Oh, and much faster—the motorcycle, that is," Jack added with cheeky grin. "And then there was the time on horseback…"

Owen spit out his drink, and even Ianto threw his head back and started laughing, which was rare for him as he preferred to keep even the most positive feelings to himself most of the time. He wiped his eyes and loosened his tie a bit more, a smile remaining on his face as he shook his head at Jack. The man was incorrigible, sometimes. Which was unfortunately also extremely appealing as well…especially right then. Jack was watching him closely, as if hoping for a response. Ianto merely inclined his head as he sipped at his drink and let Jack watch him, thinking about what to do next. The pub was too public to step it up much more, after all. Maybe back at the Hub…

"All right," said Owen, oblivious to just about everything around him. "We've done group sex and public sex. Excellent. Time for another round!"

Ianto offered to get the next again and ordered himself another tonic water. He definitely wanted his wits about him, because he was determined to win whatever game he and Jack were now playing.

And he knew exactly what the prize would be as well.

 

 


	2. Set

II. Set

Owen was definitely three sheets to the wind, and Jack had no doubt he'd be calling a cab for the doctor soon. Tosh and Gwen had come back to the table with Owen when the doctor had staggered after Ianto and put down another shot at the bar, but they had left after ten minutes of increasingly lewd comments from both Owen and Ianto about Jack's horseback ride.

Ianto. Ianto Jones. Quiet, reserved Ianto Jones.

Jack watched as Ianto laughed at something Owen said. Frankly, Jack was astounded at some of the things that had come out of Ianto's mouth that night. And the strange thing was, he was pretty sure Ianto wasn't nearly as drunk as he was letting on. Something was going on, though Jack had yet to figure it out. He knew he was enjoying it, though. In fact, it was all he could do to stop himself from either reaching under the table to touch the Welshman, or leaning across the table to snog him senseless.

"Best sex?" asked Owen, his words starting to slur just a bit. Ianto narrowed his eyes and finished his drink. He should be flat on his back if he'd really put down that much liquor, which was why Jack felt fairly certain Ianto was only drinking tonic water. What was unusual was how loose and relaxed the man was; Jack couldn't think of any time he'd seen Ianto like this, and it was frankly amazing.

"Haven't had it yet," Ianto replied and raised an eyebrow at Jack. He tried not to stare back. What the hell did that mean? Was that a challenge or an invitation?

Owen slapped the table and laughed. "And how the hell do you know that?" he asked.

"Just a feeling," Ianto murmured. "I've still got quite a bit of exploring to do." He ran a finger along the edge of his glass, then slowly licked it off, this time avoiding Jack's eyes, as if he knew Jack was watching but refused to give him the satisfaction of gazing back.

Oh, something was definitely going on. Jack just hoped it was something good, or Ianto was a bigger tease than he'd ever suspected.

"Oi, Jack!" Owen shouted, catching him in a short but intense daydream about that finger still toying with the edge of the glass and much better places for that finger to be rimming. "What about you? Was it the foursome in the hatchback, the ride on the horse, or perhaps that little motorcycle ride you mentioned?"

"Nah," said Jack, staring at Ianto and waiting until the other man looked up and met his eyes. "All great, but I'm pretty sure there's better out there."

Ianto licked his lips, pupils widening slightly. Jack thought he might fall apart right there as he adjusted himself in his chair yet again. His senses were assaulted by the look in Ianto's eyes, the play of moisture on the other man's lips, the—

"Well, when you two find it, let me know," Owen said, nodding vigorously. "I'll want to try it myself."

"Oh, I really doubt that," Ianto murmured. He glanced away, but the sly smile on his lips told Jack that Ianto was definitely still up to something. He couldn't be possibly be thinking the same things Jack was thinking…was he?

Owen stared back and forth between them. "Fine. Don't share. I'll land my own bird." He rose on unsteady feet and almost fell over trying to leave the table. Ianto ducked his head into his hand to cover a laugh as Jack stood to help steady the doctor.

"I don't think that's a good idea tonight. Let me call you a cab instead."

"What're you two going to do then?" asked Owen. "Go on the pull while I stagger home alone? How's that fair?"

Jack shook his head in amusement. Owen could be a mean drunk, but this was apparently one of his better nights, and it had been extremely entertaining watching him and Ianto banter back and forth. "I'm going back to the Hub. I should see if any of those good looking aliens showed up while we were gone."

"Ring me if they did!" Owen said as he walked away with Jack. He turned and called over his shoulder. "Ianto, mate, don't go back with him and whore around the archives all night. Go home. Or better yet, find a girl, go to the park, and have another swing. The barmaid was a bit of a dish."

Jack turned and gave Ianto a questioning look over his shoulder, but Ianto was shaking his head. "Not tonight," he replied with a laugh. "Want me to get her number for you?"

"Sod off," said Owen. "I can pick up my own shags, thank you very much. I sure as hell don't need the office boy to do it for me." Jack threw an apologetic look at Ianto; sometimes he wondered how Ianto put up with Owen's name calling. But Ianto simply smiled, indicating it was all right.

"I'll remember that next time I score twins," he called back. "Some people find paperwork extremely alluring, you know." He wasn't looking at Owen, but straight at Jack when he said that last.

Owen rolled his eyes and staggered off. "Just you, mate. Just you."

Jack threw another questioning look at Ianto, who raised his eyebrow in challenge. Jack gave him a casual grin, even though walking was becoming more uncomfortable. "I like your paperwork," he said.

"Harkness!" yelled Owen before Ianto could answer. "Stop flirting and get me a cab before I vomit all over the pavement."

Jack winked at Ianto, who had leaned back and was laughing again. It was such an unusual sound to hear that Jack almost didn't move, grinning stupidly at the gorgeous sight before him, until Owen called once again.

He found the good doctor a cab, stuffed him into the back seat, and sent him home, hoping that Ianto was still inside and maybe even up to staying for another drink. He headed back into the pub to find Ianto sitting at the table exactly where he had left him, just as casual and relaxed, a broad smile on his face as he watched Jack step through the door. Jack bought them two beers and returned to the table.

"Figured you could handle one more since you've been drinking tonic water for at least the last hour."

Ianto raised his glass in acknowledgement. "You noticed."

"Of course I did. You should be just as pissed as Owen, even if you are bigger than him."

Ianto sniggered into his glass as he took a pull of his pint.

"Not what I meant," Jack said, laughing again. "Though probably true, I suspect."

Ianto smiled enigmatically this time, but didn't reply.

"So did you get her number while we were gone?" Jack asked. Ianto gave him a quizzical look in reply. "The barmaid. And are you going to share it with Owen?"

"'Course not. She's a terrible kisser anyway."

"She's—wait, what?" asked Jack, holding up his hands in surprise. "You got her number while I was outside?"

"Didn't say that," Ianto replied, and Jack was pretty sure the other man just barely suppressed a wink. It made him grin again, to think that Ianto wanted to wink at him. He wasn't sure why, but it was a rather erotic thought, one of many he couldn't stop from making their way through his mind.

"But you have kissed her?"

"Might have," shrugged Ianto. The look on Ianto's face was so smug Jack wasn't sure whether he wanted to hit him or snog him.

Wait, snog him?

Jack hadn't thought about that in…well, months. At least, not seriously, not after all that had happened since the horrible night Ianto's darkest secret had been revealed. Yet now Jack was thinking about it for at least the second time that night. How about that.

Was that what was Ianto was playing at?

"Let me guess—she was the girl on the swing?" asked Jack, trying to play along even though he felt completely lost at the moment.

"Never said it was a girl," replied Ianto, and Jack choked on his beer. Ianto laughed and clapped him on the back, handing him a napkin to clean up. "I'm kidding. It was a girl, but no, it wasn't Tara. Tara just likes to flirt and kiss all the Welsh blokes who come by ready and willing for a quick snog."

"And you were ready and willing?" asked Jack.

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Did you even look at her when you got us another pint?"

Jack inclined his head in agreement; the barmaid was definitely a sight to admire. There was comfortable silence for a few minutes as they watched the pub begin to empty around them.

"So what was tonight all about then?" Jack finally asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. He might be on unsteady ground, but hopefully it would be worth the risk to get a straight answer, if not something more. "Did you get Owen drunk on purpose?"

There was that eyebrow. "Owen doesn't need much encouragement when it comes to alcoholic consumption."

"Apparently you don't either—or when it comes to other things," said Jack, watching him closely. He thought he saw the hint of a smile cross the other man's face.

"Such as?"

"Twins? A swing?"

For the first time that night, Ianto ducked his head in embarrassment. Or maybe he was being coy; Jack wasn't really sure of anything anymore.

"You didn't even have that much to drink," Jack continued. "And yet you're so relaxed." He gestured at Ianto's shirtsleeves, rolled up to his elbows now, open waistcoat and tie still hanging loose around his neck. Ianto glanced down at himself.

"Is that a problem?"

"Of course not!" Jack exclaimed. "It's just…different. Unexpected." He paused. "Nice. I like it."

Ianto nodded in understanding this time, not embarrassment. "I like it too, feeling relaxed."

"So how much of it was true and how much was winding up Owen?" Jack asked. God, he was so curious now.

"I could ask you the same thing," Ianto pointed out.

"And I'd tell you it was all true."

"So would I," Ianto replied, watching Jack through lowered lids.

Jack took a long swallow of his beer. The look on Ianto's face was really starting to make him hot under the collar.

"And that bit about the best you've had?" Jack asked as casually as he could manage. Ianto set down his glass and leaned forward; Jack couldn't help but do the same until their faces were quite close.

"I stand by my answer," Ianto replied, his voice low and husky. "I don't believe I've had it yet."

Jack swallowed hard as he stared into Ianto's eyes, certain he saw not only amusement but desire there. Or maybe he was imagining the latter because he felt it so tightly in his own trousers.

"I really don't know what to make of you right now, Ianto Jones," he murmured.

Ianto leaned back and drained his glass, his eyes glued to Jack the entire time. He licked the last drops from his lips so slowly Jack almost groaned out loud. He couldn't possibly be reading Ianto wrong, could he?

"Then maybe we should call it a night, sir," Ianto replied and stood, breaking whatever strange, electric connection Jack had felt and making him wonder if Ianto had felt it as well.

He bit back his disappointment, that the delicious tension between them was abruptly cut off before it could go anywhere. "Where are you heading?" he asked as they left the pub and stepped out into the cold night. Ianto glanced sideways at him.

"Home, I suppose. Bit of a walk, but it's not too far."

"I'll walk you home," said Jack, the words slipping out before he could stop them. He sounded like desperate teenager to his ears and hoped it sounded better to Ianto.

"I can walk by myself, you know," Ianto replied. "I made it to work this morning and everything without getting lost or attacked by a Weevil." There was an almost seductive twist of the last word that had Jack biting back a gasp, Ianto's lush baritone and Welsh accent rolling over him in sensual waves. Jack shook himself out of it; he was better than this when it came to playing games.

"Maybe I'd like to see your new flat," he replied with as much of his normal swagger as he could. Ianto had moved toward the end of his suspension, unable to remain in the place where he had hoped to start a better life with Lisa. He had been in his new place for several weeks, but Jack had not been there. He'd been fairly sure he wouldn't be welcomed.

"I'd be happy to arrange a tour, sir." The last was said with a teasing lilt bordering on something else—double meaning? Jack was starting to flounder. Ianto was quick witted and articulate, but this should not be happening; Jack usually held his own during these types of exchanges.

But then, he'd never thought those exchanges would go anywhere before, had never actually  _wanted_  it to go somewhere quite so much as he did right then. It had always been banter and flirting and little more in spite of the very obvious attraction underlying the words casually tossed back and forth between him and Ianto. Yet this seemed different. This was more than words, this felt like intent.

He hoped it was intent, at least. Jack had to admit that he had missed Ianto since the incident with Lisa. He had missed the man's sharp wit and impeccable work, his incredible coffee, his tailored suits, and more than anything, the quick wordplay that always danced around the promise of more.

Jack wanted more.

He moved closer to Ianto, accidentally bumping into him just to experience the delicious rush of heat that rushed through him at the other man's touch. It was cold, so he pretended to shiver when Ianto gave him a curious look. Ianto rolled his eyes, but Jack thought it was with affection and not disdain. It made him feel more confident, and he grinned. They continued to walk close together, occasionally touching, until they reached the tourist center. Jack gave Ianto a questioning look this time, so engrossed in the warm presence next to him that he hadn't even noticed where they were walking.

"I need to grab a few things from the Hub first," Ianto replied to the unasked question. "Who knows, maybe there'll be a good-looking alien waiting for us."

Jack threw back his head and laughed as he stepped back and let the man unlock the door. "Owen would be furious if he missed it."

"You wouldn't call him in for backup?" asked Ianto, motioning Jack inside first. He followed and locked the door behind them, then hit the button to head downstairs into the Hub.

"Not with you here to handle it," Jack replied, glancing sideways to see what kind of response he might get.

Ianto smiled and stepped into the lift, but did not turn to look at him, nodding instead. "I could definitely handle something like that," he replied.

"Let's cross our fingers then," Jack murmured as the lift went down. They were quiet as the cog door opened. Jack stepped through and glanced around the Hub.

"Damn," he said, tossing his coat onto the sofa and putting his hands on his hips. "Nothing."

Ianto took off his coat as well and let it fall on top of the Jack's old wool coat before moving toward his station.

"Just us, apparently," he said.

"Not a bad thing," Jack murmured, watching Ianto and wondering how to make something happen beyond the continued teasing. Then again, everything seemed to be in Ianto's control, so maybe he should just relax and enjoy the ride.

He'd rather be driving, though.

Ianto did not answer, but typed something into his computer. He turned toward Jack with an enigmatic smile. "Cup of coffee before I leave, sir?" he asked.

"You know I'd never say no to you," Jack replied, and Ianto's eyes widened slightly before he hit the return key on this computer, ducked his head with a sly smile, and headed toward the coffee machine.

The strains of a Mozart piano concerto floated from Ianto's computer, and it was all Jack could do to keep his mouth from falling open and moaning out loud at the subtle audacity of it. Ianto couldn't have made it more clear than if he'd put on the Rolling Stones. And while Mozart wasn't necessarily the best make-out music, after Ianto's comments earlier in the evening, Jack found himself getting hard again imagining Ianto and those twin pianists…maybe Mozart was sexier than he remembered…

He must have stood there imagining quite a bit, because when he blinked Ianto was standing in front of him, a steaming mug of coffee being offered with an outstretched hand. Jack accepted it, letting his fingers drag along Ianto's hand as he did, smirking when Ianto's lips parted with a soft intake of breath. Before Jack could lean forward, Ianto brought his mug to his mouth, sipped it with a soft moan of pleasure, and then stepped back, eyes sparkling mischievously as he nodded at Jack's mug.

"Drink up, sir," he said. "Whilst it's still hot."

The way his mouth moved around the word 'hot' almost had Jack groaning with desire into his own cup of coffee. He took several slow sips—it was perfect as always, and he savored the sensual flavor rolling over his tongue—before smiling over his mug at the man before him.

"Ianto Jones," he said, shaking his head. Ianto gave him a questioning look in response, and Jack laughed quietly. "Still the unexpected."

"What's unexpected this time, then?"

Jack tilted his head toward Ianto's computer. "That's Mozart."

Ianto grinned into his cup. "So it is," he murmured. He finished his drink and turned away. "I'm not much of a Stones fan."

Jack finished his as well and followed Ianto to the sink in the kitchenette. "Me neither," he admitted. "I prefer older stuff myself."

Ianto turned and took the mug, fingers lingering even longer over Jack's hand this time, so that Jack actually shuddered at the contact. Ianto knew it too.

"Some people would say the Stones are a bit old," he replied, rinsing out the mugs before turning to find Jack in his personal space. He raised an eyebrow. "But then again, so is Mozart."

Jack was staring at Ianto's mouth, unable to stop himself. "I'm not quite that old," he said, barely aware he was even speaking.

"I certainly didn't think you were," Ianto replied. He was calm, in control, only the slightest increase in the rise and fall of his chest indicating any sort of discomfort or arousal. Damn, Jack needed to get a hold of himself before he came off as a inexperienced fool. Then again, he almost didn't care at that point, he just wanted something, anything so badly after all the hints and innuendos they'd been exchanging all night. He started to lean in again, but Ianto turned his head and stepped away in one fluid moment. Moving toward the sofa, he grabbed his coat and flung it over his shoulder with an incredibly sexy tilt of his head.

Jack swore to himself. "So should I listen to more Mozart then?" he asked. He was completely caught up in whatever Ianto was doing and content to let him lead. He just hoped the other man wasn't teasing, or worse—playing him. It hadn't been that long ago that Ianto had made quite a threat against Jack on the Plass.

Ianto smiled and turned away. "Whatever you like, sir. Perhaps you'll enjoy it, I know I do. Would you mind turning it off when it's finished?" He headed toward the cog door. Jack watched him leave, completely thrown off by another abrupt end to the game.

"Where are you going?" he called. No. Ianto wasn't leaving, he couldn't possibly have been playing Jack like that. Ianto had been watching him the entire night. They'd shared looks and moments and … no. Jack wasn't letting him go yet. They were not nearly finished.

"Home. It's late." Ianto held up a folder Jack hadn't even seen the man pick up. "Got what I need. I'll be in first thing tomorrow, as usual."

"I thought I was walking you home," Jack said, finally forcing his feet to move and grabbing his coat to bound after Ianto before he left.

"And I thought I made it clear I was perfectly capable of walking on my own," Ianto replied lightly.

"I can drive you back, if you like," offered Jack. "It's cold outside."

"We walked here from the pub," Ianto pointed out. They got into the lift together, Ianto giving him an amused glance before buttoning up his coat. He was silent until they entered the tourist office. It was dark, quiet, and obviously empty, and Jack found himself thinking of all the possibilities inherent in such a situation, what he might enjoy with Ianto if the man would only stand still and keep playing the game…

"Really, Jack. I'll be fine. See you tomorrow."

Jack had the distinct feeling Ianto knew exactly what he was doing, but Jack didn't care. He was not going back down to the Hub, not alone. Not after all that. He put the Hub into nighttime mode with his wrist strap before he followed Ianto out the door, hands tucked into his pockets as he caught up to the other man. Ianto finally shook his head and offered an exasperated smile.

"Fine. We'll take the tour tonight. But you're driving then."

"Excellent!" said Jack, almost bouncing as he walked backwards in front of Ianto, but stopping himself before he really looked like an idiot. "And maybe some take away?" he suggested.

"We just ate at the pub," said Ianto.

"That was several hours ago. I'm hungry." He paused, licked his lips, and went for it. "I want more." That last came out a bit differently than Jack intended—lower, slightly hoarse, but with a hint of innuendo that he hoped would get him back in the game. Ianto's head whipped around, his eyes straying to Jack's lips before that damn sly grin turned up at the corner of Ianto's mouth.

"I'll see what I have," Ianto murmured, holding Jack's eyes, the tone and pitch of his voice making it perfectly clear that he understood, met, and matched Jack's suggestive overtones. Jack stepped forward, brushing his lips against Ianto's ear.

"I'll take whatever you offer," he whispered, and was gratified to see Ianto's Adam's apple bob as he swallowed hard.

"Best speed up then, sir," Ianto replied, quickening his step. "It's colder than I thought."

But Jack sensed things were about to heat up.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want to know something interesting? In the original draft, the first part was all done from a neutral point of view, and this part was from Ianto's point of view. And then it sat on my laptop for weeks going on months, dead stuck, until I played with other points of view, landing on Ianto to start, and Jack to continue. One more part to go. Thank you for reading!


	3. Match

III. Match

The short drive to Ianto's flat was filled with more of the verbal jousting and sharp innuendo that had defined the night so far. Ianto sensed that Jack was trying to regain the upper hand he commanded much of the time, but Ianto was determined to wrestle it back every time things seemed to shift in Jack's favor, keeping the man off balance. He was having fun watching Jack Harkness dance to his tune; Jack had adjusted his trousers several times that night, and Ianto was going to enjoy the pleasure of watching his flirtatious boss remove them when the time was right.

He took a deep breath as he stepped up to his door, bringing himself back to the casual, relaxed state he'd felt most of the night. It was what had enticed Jack, thrown him for a surprise, and it was how Ianto was going to win this match, because he was nothing if not as stubborn and determined as his boss—quite possibly more.

Jack stood close behind him and stepped into the flat with a look of curiosity. Ianto had moved out of his old, run-down place during his suspension, but Jack had not come to see him at the new one. It was finally starting to feel like home after a month of settling in. Clean and modern, it was in a better part of town, and there was no sense of something missing. He had kept a few of Lisa's pictures and belongings, but the new flat did not cry out for her presence like the old one, and Ianto knew that as much as it sometimes still hurt, it was important that he not live in the past. He had to move on. He  _was_ moving on.

In more ways than one, apparently.

He took Jack's coat just as he usually did at the Hub and laid it neatly over a nearby chair, taking his own into the bedroom down the hallway and tossing it on the bed. He kicked off his shoes as well before heading back to the lounge, where Jack was wandering around, pretending to look more relaxed than his body language betrayed. Ianto was nervous as well, but felt slightly smug in the knowledge that he was (hopefully) better at hiding it.

"So…" Jack's hands were in his pockets as he casually walked around the small room, taking it all in: books, cds, pictures, furniture, and artwork. He stopped, met Ianto's gaze, and started the game once more. "Got any more Mozart?"

Ianto ducked his head and grinned as he made his way to the small kitchen and rummaged through his cabinets looking for something to eat. "Would you prefer the Rolling Stones, sir? Only I don't have any as they're not my taste."

"No, I told you I don't actually like the Stones."

Ianto felt a measure of success when he pulled out a fresh bag of crisps. Opening the icebox, he grabbed the water pitcher, then went to the cabinet for two glasses. "What do you like?" he asked as he poured them each a glass. He was genuinely interested, given how little any of them truly knew or understood about Jack. Plus the right music could set the mood.

"Lots of things." Jack sat on a stool at the counter that separated the lounge from the kitchen, raising his eyebrows with a not-so-subtle leer. Ianto answered with the eye roll he often suspected Jack liked more than anyone should.

"Musically speaking, sir."

"Ah." Jack nodded his thanks as Ianto placed a glass in front of Jack and offered the bowl of crisps. He continued talking with a full mouth, which almost made Ianto roll his eyes again, until he realized it was yet another one of those incorrigible yet endearing traits about Jack that he couldn't help but like because it was just so  _Jack_. "I guess I'm partial to the older stuff—30s and 40s."

Ianto wasn't surprised. Jack dressed like he'd stepped out of the Second World War, after all. He obviously had some sort of connection to the era, though what it might be, Ianto could only begin to guess. He popped a crisp into his mouth, savoring the salty flavor, and nodded toward his small but eclectic cd collection by the stereo. "I might have something, if you want to have a look."

Jack chewed slowly, blue eyes studying Ianto's face as if planning something devious before he broke out into a grin. "Sure." He wiped his hands on his trousers before Ianto could hand him a napkin, then sauntered over to the cds and studied them carefully. Ianto tried not to enjoy the view from behind, since he was pretty sure Jack was bending over like that to emphasize it, but he couldn't help himself. It was a great view.

"How about this?" asked Jack, holding up a collection of jazz standards that Ianto had picked up in a second hand shop in London. He'd been looking for something a bit more romantic to listen to with Lisa than alternative rock, something he could play in the background during a candlelight dinner or other more recreational activities afterwards. It had worked brilliantly, too.

Jack didn't need to know that, though.

Clearing his throat, Ianto put on a confident smile. Maybe he should have grabbed a beer instead of water.

"What do you like about that time, that music?" he asked, once again curious. Jack's eyes seemed to be gazing back into the past as the music started, until he shook his head and shrugged.

"It's a long story."

Ianto gave up almost immediately as the music swelled; he needed the beer. Heading back to the icebox, he plucked one from the door and waved it at Jack, asking if he wanted one as well. Jack shook his head. "One is enough for me."

"You're clearly not Welsh," Ianto murmured.

"You mean the accent didn't give it away?" asked Jack, laughing quietly.

"The accent gave it away the moment we met. So what's the long story?"

Jack paused with a handful of crisps halfway to his mouth. "Sorry?"

"The long story about why you favor old jazz standards from the 1940s instead of something a bit more contemporary like most normal blokes." Ianto sipped at his beer, gradually finding his footing now that Jack was there, sitting at his counter, drinking his water and eating his food. It was Ianto's flat, and Jack was there at his invitation; it shouldn't feel awkward, but it did, in a heady, wonderful way.

"I'm not like most normal blokes," Jack pointed out. Ianto nodded in agreement.

"I noticed. It still doesn't answer the question."

Jack shrugged again. "It's not a story worth telling."

Ianto raised an eyebrow at that, as Jack never missed the opportunity to spin a tale at the Hub. "You like telling stories," he pointed out.

"I do," said Jack, but did not offer more. Ianto decided to push it a bit.

"Just not stories that give away too much, then?" he asked, and Jack grinned down at the counter before looking up.

"You're not the only who likes to keep secrets, you know."

"Not anymore," said Ianto, shaking his head. He wandered around the corner back into the lounge, sitting down on the sofa as far from Jack as possible, even though he'd much rather be closer. It was, however, part of the game, and he hoped that Jack would play it right.

Jack finished his water and joined Ianto on the opposite end of the sofa. "No more secrets?" he asked, and Ianto nodded. "Why not?"

"Learned my lesson the hard way." Which was true: Ianto had learned the cost of keeping secrets that mattered when he had put the entire team—hell, the entire planet—in danger. He'd still hold on to the small things, hold them close and never reveal them to anyone, but he could not keep other things to himself if it put others at risk. Jack appeared to be studying him thoughtfully.

"You still have some secrets," he said.

"Everyone does," Ianto pointed out. "Just not secrets that threaten global destruction. And I'm willing to share more now as well."

Jack's eyebrows flew up. "Really?" he asked, unable to keep the note of surprise from his voice. Ianto grinned, the beer bolstering him as it had back at the pub.

"Yep," he said, setting the bottle down on the coffee table and turning toward Jack, chin coming to rest on the palm of his hand as he propped his elbow on the back of the sofa. "It's one thing to keep something private, quite another to keep secrets."

"What's the difference again?" asked Jack. Ianto thought about what he wanted to say.

"Privacy is choosing silence because you don't feeling like sharing something. You may not know someone well enough to share, or it's none of their business. Maybe it's not important enough to share, or it's something you'd prefer to keep to yourself for no other reason than to keep  _something_  for yourself." He paused and waited until Jack waved his hand to continue. "Secrecy is choosing silence because of fear and shame—because you'd suffer just about anything rather than reveal your deepest thoughts and desires." At least, that was how he saw it. His remaining secrets were his and his alone, in part because he was ashamed of them, in part because he feared them. Other things he kept to himself because it was no one's business but his own, or he had no one he wished to share his private thoughts with at the moment.

"All right," said Jack, nodding slowly. "I see your point. So what was tonight about?"

"I felt like sharing." Ianto shrugged. He couldn't say why, could not articulate what had suddenly loosened his tongue after months of remaining distant and aloof from the rest of the team. It had felt right. "I suppose had nothing to be ashamed of when it came to Owen's rather colorful questions."

Jack raised an eyebrow at him, then shook his head as he laughed through his nose. "No, you don't. But I bet you still have things you'll never share with anyone. Secrets."

"Again, everyone does, some people more than others."

Jack was silent for several moments. "I have secrets," he said, his tone sad and hinting at regret. "Too many."

"Not when it comes to your intimate life, apparently," said Ianto. He refused to let the conversation slide into maudlin territory. Of course Jack had secrets; the entire team suspected dozens of them, and Jack himself often hinted at a past he was not proud of. But now was not the time for those secrets, so Ianto made sure to keep the mood light. He was rewarded when Jack laughed under his breath again.

"Yes, that was quite the conversation Owen started."

"Extremely enlightening," said Ianto. The mere mention of their conversation from the pub made Ianto want to throw himself across the sofa and kiss Jack senseless, but that wouldn't do, not then. Timing was everything at the moment; continuing to build on the tension from the evening would make the release of the coiled spring of attraction between them that much more rewarding.

"I'm not sure the girls appreciated it," said Jack, and they shared a laugh.

"Well, I'm not sure I did either. I certainly did not need to know quite so much about Owen's sex life. I hope I never run into him with his cock out on the dance floor."

Jack's eyebrows flew up. "I thought you didn't dance that much," he said, his voice somewhat strangled. Was it his language? Ianto couldn't help but laugh at Jack's reaction. In his mind he repeated the word over and over and grinned to himself as he imagined Jack's reaction…as well as the actual body part in question.

"I don't dance that much, or that well," Ianto replied out loud. "I'm just saying there is a such thing as too much information." He paused. "When it comes to certain people."

"I don't know," said Jack, and his voice had a seductive edge that made it clear Jack wanted control of the game again. "I enjoyed some of the things I heard tonight."

Ianto reached toward the table to grab his beer before answering, stretching languidly and feeling Jack's eyes rake over him with a small thrill of victory. "I'm sure you did, sir. Anything in particular?"

The sofa cushions shifted as Jack adjusted himself, moving closer and leaning forward with one arm tossed casually over the back of the sofa. "Wanna know a secret?"

"Is it private?" Ianto asked, matching the whispered pitch of Jack's voice and trying not to shiver from the feelings Jack's closeness chased up and down his spine.

"It's both."

"Then do share." Ianto couldn't even begin to imagine what Jack was going to tell him, and that thought as much as Jack's nearness was doing all sorts of distracting things to various parts of his body. He tried to sip nonchalantly at his drink and hoped he was succeeding at appearing more relaxed than he felt.

Jack grinned and raised his eyebrows in that infuriating way he had. "I was hard for you the night we caught Mfanwy."

"That's not a secret, sir," Ianto replied. He barely held back a snort as he remembered rolling across the warehouse floor with Jack, trying to get a job. "I was there too." And Ianto had been hard as well, in spite of the reasons for him being there.

"I never told anyone," Jack offered, but Ianto shook his head with a small smile.

"Still doesn't make it a secret."

"What if I told you I've been hard most of the night, especially right now?"

Ianto leaned back. Jack thought he was reeling Ianto in, but no. It was the other way around. Ianto glanced down at Jack's lap, then back up into blazing blue eyes, allowing his lips to curl around the neck of the beer bottle. After a long pull, he release the bottle with a pop, licked his lips, and set it down once more.

"That's no secret either…Jack."

He knew that Jack liked hearing Ianto say his name almost as much as he liked the 'sir.' It was a question of time and place when it came to using one or the other, and Ianto knew this was the moment to use Jack's name. The other man literally bit back a moan, shaking his head and letting it fall to his chest with a strangled laugh.

"You're way too good at this," Jack murmured.

Ianto rolled his shoulders back and sat up. "I try my best," he offered.

"If you don't stop and do something, then I'm the one who's going to be filling out those harassment forms tomorrow," Jack said. His voice was hoarse, his eyes desperate. Ianto moved back toward him.

"I'm sure I've got some around here, if you'd like to fill one out tonight," said Ianto. This time Jack moved closer, and Ianto willed himself to remain still, his breathing to stay calm and even.

"Will I need to?" asked Jack.

"Depends," Ianto replied. They were close enough that their legs were touching now, and either one of them could have reached out to the other if they weren't both waiting.

"On what?" whispered Jack.

"It's not harassment when you enjoy it so much." Ianto let his eyes roam down to Jack's lap again. " _Sir_."

He expected another groan, but Jack recovered well and gave him that near blinding Harkness grin that could charm the pants off a stripper. "I can think of something I'd enjoy much more," said Jack. Ianto raised an eyebrow, meeting him play by play.

"Another cup of coffee?"

Jack shook his head, the smile still tugging at his lips. He did not answer, but pressed several buttons on his wrist strap, holding Ianto's eyes the entire time. Ianto heard the cd player stop, click, whir, and begin again.

Mozart.  _Cosi fan tutte._

"Didn't you know you liked opera," said Jack, practically purring it right next to his ear. Point to him, then, but Ianto wasn't ceding the match yet.

"I like Mozart," he replied.

"I like you."

"The feeling is mutual." It was not something he'd ever thought he'd be able to say to his boss, who was sitting next to him, admitting he was hard. Not after Lisa's death. Yet now he could admit it without shame; how things changed. Ianto's trousers were growing more and more uncomfortable, and he almost ended it right then; in fact, he wasn't sure why he didn't since it was almost as much torture for him as it was for Jack now. Almost.

"So why are we still talking about this?" asked Jack.

"All part of the game, sir." Which was also why Ianto didn't move. He was back in control.

"I didn't realize we were playing."

"Jack." He stretched it out, letting his accent roll around the single syllable, barely stopping himself from rolling his eyes to let only his voice convey layers of meaning.

Jack grinned, not the toothy, flirtatious grin, but a smaller one that reached his eyes. "All right, I knew. Are we done playing yet?"

"Just like that?" asked Ianto, miming surprise. "Right down to business?"

"If you're sure," said Jack. "We do work together." His voice was husky, seductive yet vulnerable. Ianto found himself respecting the man even more for both thinking and voicing such a concern.

"And that's stopped you before?" Somehow Ianto doubted it.

"Not really." Confirmed.

"Me neither." Ianto did not allow himself to dwell on Lisa other than to remember her as she had been, when they had worked together and lived together and planned a life together. And then he concentrated on the now, on that moment and the opportunity he had with Jack, not the past.

"Good." Yet Jack didn't move any closer; in fact, he looked even more nervous. And for some reason, it was one more surprise that Ianto found incredibly endearing, something he never would have suspected yet was glad of all the same. Jack Harkness was not quite the cold-blooded sexual predator everyone assumed he was.

"Are  _you_  sure?" Ianto asked, worried about the answer in spite of all the evidence to the contrary. Was Jack having second thoughts? Had Ianto read him wrong, pushed too hard? God, how embarrassing would that be. And how disappointing. No, he wanted Jack and Jack wanted him. Maybe Ianto had pushed the limit on the teasing. Maybe they needed to prove their words with actions.

"I'm always sure," Jack answered after staring at Ianto's lips for what felt like forever before gazing up and meeting his eyes. A wave of relief washed over Ianto and he smiled.

"Good. I did say I needed to explore." He let his hand drift across Jack's knee and up his thigh, delighting in the flex of muscles and the sharp intake of breath from the man next to him.

"Still looking for the best you've had?" Jack's voice was rough with longing now. Perfect.

"Yep." Ianto grinned. "Close your eyes."

"What?" A quick turn of the head and a cocked eyebrow told Ianto that he had caught Jack by surprise again. "Why?"

"So I can explore," Ianto replied. His own voice was low and colored with desire as well. He was not going to last much longer with the teasing.

Jack swallowed again and closed his eyes with a small nod and an even smaller, softer smile.

Ianto moved behind Jack, tossing pillows onto the floor as he kneeled on the sofa cushions. For some reason, he felt Jack tense in front of him.

"Trust me," Ianto whispered. He punctuated it with a nip along the soft flesh Jack's ear, followed by a light caress of his tongue around the delicate curve of skin. Jack shuddered.

"I trust you."

"You want to," said Ianto. He turned his attention to the other side, Jack stretching his neck to allow Ianto more access to the sensitive skin behind his ear. "But I don't think you actually do."

Jack didn't answer, yet Ianto felt the man's body tense once more in response. Which was when the realization hit.

"You think I'm playing with you, setting you up." It was a statement, not a question, and to vocalize it filled Ianto with surprise and regret.

"I don't want to think so," murmured Jack. He did not turn to face Ianto. In fact, his eyes were still closed, which said something about Jack's state of mind. Whether he was reluctant to open them and face the truth or perhaps aroused and still wanting more in spite of his hesitation, Ianto wasn't sure. Jack's reaction startled him while making him sad at the same time. They'd flirted almost since the day they had met, and deep down Ianto had always enjoyed it. It was Jack Harkness; who wouldn't? He had not allowed it to go further, no matter how much his body had urged him to during the dark and lonely months he had tried so hard to save Lisa. Yet he had failed her. He had loved her, he had lost her (twice), and he had mourned her. And then he had accepted the need to move on.

In spite of his rational mind telling him that Jack was responsible, that Jack was a monster and Ianto should hate him, forgiveness had soon overridden the anger and pain that stretched between them. And Ianto knew that Jack had forgiven him as well, when the looks and touches and banter had started again, slowly reigniting the attraction they'd both felt on meeting. He enjoyed it, and now he could follow through on it. It was disappointing to think that Jack didn't believe in Ianto's intentions or motivations anymore.

Ianto made up his mind. It was time to end the match and make Jack believe. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then quickly moved around Jack to straddle him on the sofa. To his credit, Jack did not open his eyes, but merely offered a crooked smirk.

"I  _really_ don't want to think that now," he murmured, the seductive tone to his voice that Ianto had heard before sounding forced this time.

"Open your eyes, Jack."

Jack opened them slowly. Ianto was glad to see lust and desire there, since that was partially the point (he still felt it quite prominently from where he sat in Jack's lap as well). He also noticed a gentleness and the rare vulnerability he'd seen earlier that belied Jack's usual confident strength. Cupping Jack's face in his hands, Ianto kissed first the man's forehead, his chin, and then along his jaw before speaking.

"Don't think about it, Jack," he murmured. Jack's lips parted and he moved forward, but Ianto ducked his head toward Jack's neck, trailing kisses down one side and up the other as Jack arched into his touch. "I want this as much as you do."

"Ianto Jones," he breathed. "If you don't kiss me right now I will—"

Ianto nipped at Jack's collarbone bit harder, sending Jack flailing with an inarticulate yelp. "You'll what, sir? Fill out the required forms?"

"I will if you keep calling me 'sir'," Jack growled.

"What if I want to?" asked Ianto, letting his voice settle into a low purr as his fingers began to (finally) undo the buttons on Jack's shirt. He felt the hitch in Jack's breathing and grinned; his own was beginning to speed up as well.

"Not like this," Jack breathed. His head fell back to the top of the sofa as Ianto ran his hands across the white tee shirt stretched over Jack's broad chest. Or maybe it was the subtle press of their groins, growing harder by the minute, that Jack relished in. "Use my name."

"Jack." Ianto loved saying it, and now he knew Jack loved hearing it. He repeated it several times, watching the play of emotions across Jack's face, kissing his way around Jack's mouth until he stopped, noses touching, breath ghosting over one another, eyes locked.

"Ianto."

"Game's over." He punctuated it with a short teasing pull at Jack's lips. Jack leaned forward, searching for more.

"Who won?" he asked. Ianto let Jack nip him this time, stifling his own moan of pleasure as Jack's teeth worried at his upper lip, as Jack's tongue slid across his teeth.

"It's a tie," Ianto replied with a gasp of pleasure he couldn't hold back. He couldn't stop himself leaning his head to the right as Jack left a trail of damp kisses down his neck; he did stop himself from groaning at the brilliant sensation of Jack's lips ghosting over his warm skin, each kiss leaving sparks in its wake.

Jack sat up and met his eyes again. "I like that. We both win."

"I'd say so." This time they both moved forward, not tentative but teasing as short kisses were peppered with staggered breaths and hands began to roam. Ianto tangled his fingers through mussed up hair and along broad shoulders, while he felt Jack's callused hands running up and down his back, cupping his arse and pulling him closer.

"What's the prize?" Jack asked after a longer, harder kiss that almost brought an early end to the night for Ianto. "You?"

Ianto grinned against his lips. "And here I was hoping for you as my prize."

"You had me at 'rip in the space-time continuum,'" Jack murmured. Ianto pulled back and cocked an eyebrow, unable to resist one last teasing comment.

"So you like talking dirty about the Rift then?" Jack's eyes, pupils already blown, widened considerably. He didn't answer, but reached around Ianto's head and pulled him into a long, searing kiss that sent shivers of fire and ice down to Ianto's toes and back up to the top of his head. As kisses went, it was definitely one of the best he'd ever had.

Which could only mean there was even better yet to come.

Their tongues fought for dominance, though with Ianto on top and plundering downward he felt like he had the better position, and he took full advantage of it. Teeth clacked as the kiss became messy and desperate, the pent-up energy from an entire evening of teasing and innuendo flowing freely back and forth, through lips and hands and fingers and the exquisite friction of the hardness between them.

When they stopped to catch their breath—and they were both breathing fast, stunned at the intensity of it, perhaps—Ianto rested his forehead against Jack's and ground himself along Jack's thigh, his knee brushing against Jack's own bulging pants. Jack groaned and threw his head back, and for a moment Ianto was worried that the evening had come to a quick conclusion for Jack.

Until Jack called him a very unflattering but deliciously filthy name, Ianto growled in response, and they were kissing again, hands fumbling at buttons, pulling shirts from trousers, tearing at belts and zippers until—

"Wait." Ianto pulled away and stood, shirt hanging open, trousers comfortably unzipped, lips swollen and tingling and aching for more. Jack looked similar, braces hanging at his hips with his shirt half off, dark boxers peeking through khaki trousers. He fell back against the sofa with a positively wanton groan and ran a hand through hair deliciously mussed up.

"Ianto," he almost whined, and Ianto grinned. He held out his hand, and Jack took it, pulling himself up and Ianto flush against him before attacking Ianto's neck, where he sucked a love bite into the exposed skin almost immediately.

"There are more comfortable places than my sofa," Ianto whispered across Jack's ear when he could form the words. He swore he felt a twitch against his groin, as if Jack was answering him wordlessly with his arousal.

"Such as?" Jack breathed into his ear, sending shivers through Ianto that he felt ripple through Jack as well.

Ianto grabbed Jack's hand and pulled him toward the bedroom. They kissed and tripped and laughed as Jack's trousers fell to the floor and he kicked them off in the hallway. Stumbling to the bed, they fell backwards with an inelegant pop of the springs, hands groping to remove more clothing, lips exploring each new expanse of exposed skin.

From the lounge, the sounds of Mozart continued to provide the soundtrack to the end of their match. Any other thoughts were quickly lost as Ianto let himself give in to and enjoy the sheer pleasure that was Jack—Jack kissing him, touching him, moving against him, pulsing around him and over him, calling Ianto's name beneath him and gazing deep into his eyes as they spent hours exploring and discovering and exciting one another.

They both came out on top in the end, both winners, both indecently satisfied with the game. As Ianto drifted to sleep, Jack curled beside him murmuring nonsense into his neck, he thought only of the next opportunity they might have to play another set again.

Game, set…rematch.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End! Thank you for reading! And many thanks to Tamaar for listening to me whinge about this, offering advice, and looking it over here at the end. It is once again not quite what I anticipated when I started, but something I'm happy with and enjoyed all the same, mostly because I do adore writing snappy bits of dialogue. I hope you all enjoyed it as well. Thanks again!

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place just before TKKS. I started it after some fun conversations about Jack and Ianto, flirting and taking the initiative with Cerih and Darcy58. It was supposed to be short and sexy, but it evolved into a bit more. There are three parts, and I hope you enjoy the rest!


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